Housed contact for railway signaling systems.



B. P. WOODING.

HOUSED CONTACT FOR RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1912.

Patented Sept. 15,1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFlQE.

BENJAMIN'F. WOODING, or DENVER, COLORADO.

HOUSED CONTACT FOR RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEMS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. Woon- ING, citizen of theUnited States, residing at Denver, in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Housed Contacts for Railway Signaling Systems; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in housed contacts for railway signaling sys tems, being more especially intended for use in those systems where the signals are given in the cab of the locomotive, as distinguished from distance signals, or those of the semaphore type arranged along the track.

My improved construction is adapted for use in connection with a train device through which a circuit is closed in the cab for signaling purposes, the train device extending downwardly and arranged to be brought into engagement with my improved housed contact construction.

Having brieflyoutlined my improved construction, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing,in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing:

Figure l is a top plan view of one rail of a track section shown in connect-ion with one of my improved housed contacts. Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-8, Fig. 1, looking toward the left, showing the housed contact in its normal position, or when not engaged by the depending train device, the parts being shown on a much larger scale. Fig. 3 is a view taken on the same line and on the same scale, showing the position of the track contact members when the train device is in engagement therewith, whereby one member of the contact is moved away from the other member. Fig. st is a section taken on the line M, Fig. 1, looking toward the left, and shown on a much larger scale. Fig. 5 is a top plan view illustrating my improved construction, the parts being shown partly in section and partly broken away, and on a larger scale than in Fig. 1.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 15, 1912. Serial N 0. 709,326.

bracket member 13 a of suitable fastening devices,

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

Let the numeral 5 designate a railway track, and 6 one of the track rails, the same belng supported upon ties 7 in the usual manner. lily improved housed track contact is arranged at one side of the track, the various contacts being located at suitable intervals and adapted to be employed in a block signaling system where the signals are operated in the cab of a locomotive. Each of these contacts consists of two main members 8 and 9, the member 8 being stationary and consisting of a T-bar 10 mounted on upright brackets 12 arranged at suitable intervals, these brackets being of angular shape and composed of vertically arranged members 13 and horizontally disposed parts 14;, which are secured to the ties by suitable fastening devices 15. These brackets are arranged at suitable intervals and their upper extremities are shaped to engage the horizontal part 16 of a 'l'-bar 10, and one edge 17 of the vertical member of said bar. Approximately midway of the height of the cylindrical housing 18 is located, the said housing forming a chamher for a spiral spring 19 which is located therein, the inner extremity of the spring being secured to the bracket as shown at 20, while its opposite extremity is connected, as shown at 21, with an arm 22 pivotally con nected at its lower extremity, as shown at 23, with the part 14 of the bracket. These pivoted arms 22 are arranged at suitable intervals, and the continuous housing part 24 of the contact member 9 is secured to the upper extremities of the said arms 22 by means as shown at 25.

The springs 19 are of suitable tension to normally hold the arms 22 in the inclined position shown in Fig. 2 whereby the housing part 24.- is arranged above the T-bar 10 of the contact, thus protecting the said bar from the water and preventing the accumulation of snow, ice and foreign matter which might interfere with the making of a proper electrical connection with a train device which is adapted to engage the inner surface of the 'l"bar. From this it will be understood that the T-bar 10 of each contact is stationary, being supported on top of the vertical parts 13 of the rigid brackets 12; while the housing part 24 of the contact is mounted on the upper extremities of pivoted arms 22, the said housing part normally overlapping the 'l"-bar, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

As shown in the drawing, the housing consists of an angular bar having a vertical part 27 sccured'to the upper extremities of the pivot arms 22; and a part 28 extending at right angles to the part 27 and adapted to overlap the T-bar for housing purposes, as heretofore explained. Each one of these contacts may be of any desired length. At each extremity of each contact the two parts 10 and 24 are separated from each other, as shown at 29, to permit the entrance of atrain device between the stationary bar 10 and the movable housing part 24 of each contact. Regardless of the direction in which the train is traveling, the train device 30 enters a space 29 as the train approaches one of these track contacts, and as the train continues the train device 30 moves the housing part 24 of each contact away from the T-bar 10, the train device, during this operation, engaging the inner flat surface 26 of the T-bar and forming a. good electrical contact, the T-barbeing suitably arranged in the circuit. The parts 10' and 24, at the opposite ends of the contact for a short distance, are considerably separated and arranged in parallel relation, as shown at A; and B. At these entrance extremities of the contact, the overlapping part 28 of the housing part 24 is cut away and the two members 10 and 24 are rigidly connected with brackets of the construction illustrated in Fig. 4. These brackets may be designated by the numeral 31, and as shown in the drawing are cast integral, being provided with upright arms 32' and 33'- and a connecting base 34. The brackets 31 at theterminals of the contact are considerably wider than the brackets 31 more remote from the terminals, but located where the two parts lOand 24 are still-separated to receive and guide the train device From this it will be understood that the two-members 10 and 24 are rigidly supported up to a point where the innermost bracket 31 is located. The point C, where the two parts 10 and 24 come together, is sufli'ciently distant from the nearest rigid bracket 31, that thepart 24 may be moved away from the part 10 in response to the action of the tain device 80 by virtue of the yielding capacity of the part 24, which is made of spring steel of such construction as to allow the housing member to be moved away from the T-bar member a sufficient distance to allow the train device to pass (see Fig- 3). By'vi'rtue of this construction and arrangement the train device forms close contact for purposes of electrical conductivity with the inner face 26 of the T- part 24 bar 10, the train device being held in such close contact by virtue of the tension of the spiral springs 19 connected with the pivoted Copies of this patent may be obtained for spaced terminals being parallel "with the arms 9 carrying the housing part 24 as heretofore explained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: a

1. A track contact comprising two-members spaced at their extremities to receive a train device, the spaced portions of the two members being rigidly mounted, one of the members being spring-retained in close proximity to the other member between the spaced terminals of the contact and adapted to be moved away from the other membe'r by the interposition of the train device.

2. AL track contact composed'of two members spaced at their extremities and-rigidly mounted to receive and guide a train device, the portions of the contact intermediate the track, the parallel part of one member be-' ing part of 1 mount-ed rigidly supported, while the parallel the other member is yieldingly and equipped with 'ahousing portion normally overlapping its companion member.

2-3. track contact composed of two'members spaced at theirextremities and rigidly inc-tinted at the r extremities, one of the members intermediate the spaced terminals 1 being mounted on spring arms whereby it is yieldingly drawn toward its companlon member,

4. it track contact composed of two members spaced at their extremities and r1g1dly "mounted at their extremities toreceive and 7 {guide a tram device, the two parts 1nterme- Idiate the spaced terminals beingarra-nged substantially parallel with each other and with the track and at substantially equal (heights, upright rigid bracketsupon which the parallel portion of one member is sup ported, and spring-held arms upon Whichthe parallel portion of the other-member is supported. 1 t

5. A track contact composed of two members having spaced rigidly mounted termito receive and guide a train device, the

parts of the said members intermediate the teri-ninals being parallel with each other, rigid brackets upon which the parallel portion of one member is supported, and pivoted arms upon which the parallel portionof; the other member is supported, and springs connecting the pivoted arms of the one member with the rigid brackets, of the other member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN WO ODING.

7 Witnesses A. J. UBRIEN, MAY OLnMEN'rs." 1

five cents each, lay-addressing the Commissioner ofl'atents, Washington, I). C. 

